Mangaluru : The Mookambika Road Byndoor-Kasaragod-Mookambika Road Byndoor passenger train (Train No. 56665/56666) was flagged off amidst a lot of fanfare here on Monday.

B.S. Yeddyurappa, Shimoga MP, and Shobha Karandlaje, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP, flagged off the train at the railway platform coinciding with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagging it off through remote control in New Delhi to the applause of the people gathered.

The train, with 16 coaches, will halt at Bijoor, Senapura, Kundapur, Barkur, Udupi, Innanje, Padubidri, Nandikur, Mulki, Suratkal, Thokur, Mangalore Junction, Thokuttu (H), Ullal, Manjeshwar, Uppala and Kumbla stations.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said that while he was happy with the introduction of the train, he wanted the train to be extended from Kasaragod to Guruvayoor. This would connect two major pilgrim centres – Kollur located close to Byndoor, with Guruvayoor. The train should then be named as Murali Mookambika passenger train.

Around 26 trains halt at Byndoor as people wanted to visit Kollur. Byndoor was also one of the highest revenue-earning stations on the Konkan railway. Yet the Byndoor station had just one track and one platform.

He had urged Mr. Prabhu to provide a second track at the station. There should be electrification and doubling of tracks on the entire Konkan railway line, Mr. Yeddyurappa said.

He had urged Mr. Prabhu to include Mangaluru port under Konkan Railways as this would make the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) profitable, Mr. Yeddyurappa said.

Ms. Karandlaje said the KRCL had loans of Rs. 3,500 crore, and the inclusion of Mangaluru port would provide it an additional revenue of Rs. 500 crore a year. Earlier, people expressed their satisfaction at the starting of the train. But almost all wanted the train to be extended to Guruvayoor in Kerala.

K. Venkatesh Kini, president of Mookambika Railway Yatri Sangha, said the train was a victory for the efforts put in by the Sangha.